Shloka 21

स्वाध्याय-योगोपदेशः तथा केशिध्वज-खाण्डिक्य-उपाख्यानम्

Yoga through Study and Restraint; The Keśidhvaja–Khāṇḍikya Narrative Frame

Devanagari script

तम् आयान्तं समालोक्य खाण्डिक्यो रिपुम् आत्मनः प्रोवाच क्रोधताम्राक्षः समारोपितकार्मुकः

Transliteration

tam āyāntaṃ samālokya khāṇḍikyo ripum ātmanaḥ provāca krodhatāmrākṣaḥ samāropitakārmukaḥ

Translation

Seeing his own enemy approaching, Khāṇḍikya—his eyes reddened with anger and his bow already strung and raised—spoke out.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• आयान्तम्: coming, approaching
• आयान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-या (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-लोक् (धातु) + ल्यप् (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund: 'having seen')

• खाण्डिक्यः: Khāṇḍikya
• खाण्डिक्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खाण्डिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• रिपुम्: enemy
• रिपुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• आत्मनः: of himself, his own
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच्/वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular, said)

• क्रोधताम्राक्षः: with eyes reddened by anger
• क्रोधताम्राक्षः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक) + ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि/अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—क्रोधेन ताम्राणि अक्षीणि यस्य (बहुव्रीहिवत् अर्थः), रूपतः तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समाससम्भव

• समारोपितकार्मुकः: with bow raised/strung
• समारोपितकार्मुकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-रुह्/आ-रूप्? (धातु) + इत (क्त, कृदन्त) + कार्मुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—समारोपितं कार्मुकं यस्य/समारोपित-कार्मुकः (तत्पुरुष; 'having raised/strung the bow')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Khāṇḍikya
• Unnamed enemy (ripu)

FAQs

What is the significance of royal conflict episodes in Vishnu Purana’s dynastic sections?

They illustrate how personal enmity and political tension shape the course of lineages, serving as moral-narrative examples within the broader genealogical history.

How does Sage Parāśara present action and emotion in this verse?

He compresses the scene into vivid markers—an approaching foe, a bow readied, and anger made visible through “reddened eyes”—to signal imminent confrontation in the storyline.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in a given verse, the dynastic narratives operate under the Purana’s premise that sovereignty and historical outcomes ultimately unfold within Vishnu’s cosmic order (dharma and niyati).